A NEW exhibition, Unfolding, is on display at the Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, showcasing First Nations works on paper.
The exhibition recognises the significance of paper as a material which demonstrates a particular kind of strength and permanence. Through prints, drawings, and paintings, First Nations artists have used paper to express their identities, connection to Country, history, language and community.
The exhibition was curated in collaboration with Gulumerridjin (Larrakia), Wardaman, and Karra Jarri artist and curator Jenna (Mayilema) Lee and features over 100 works by more than 80 artists.
Some of the prominent artists include Queenie McKenzie, Gloria Petyarre, Robert Fielding, Brian Robinson, Brian Martin, Fiona Foley, Nici Cumpston, d harding, Danie Mellor, Teho Ropeyarn, Lisa Waup, Dominic White, and Sally Morgan.
“Paper is alluring because it holds contradictions. It is the material of colonial paperwork, the bureaucratic pages that catalogued, restricted, and attempted to define us,” Lee said. “Yet in the hands of First Nations artists, paper becomes something else entirely: a surface for resistance, renewal and possibility. Each work on paper unfolds to reveal a new facet, a reminder that this most everyday of materials can bear the weight of history while opening space for newer, truer tellings.”
The exhibition draws from MPRG’s permanent collection, which has focused on acquiring works on paper by Australian artists of national significance for years and now features nearly 170 First Nations artists.
Co-curator Stephanie Sacco said of approximately 2,500 works in the collection, over 400 are by First Nations artists.
“What makes this collection special is that every single First Nations work in the Collection is a work on paper: this is a collection that tells the story of the significance of this medium to First Nations artists,” Sacco said.
In addition to the main exhibition, an activity space features the work of Sammy Trist, a Taungurung woman of the Kulin Nation. There will also be a series of artist and curator talks, as well as a long table discussion.
On 23 January, the exhibition will stay open late and with a special event featuring First Nations DJs Fosters and Pvrtal, who will bring a mix of Afro, house, disco, and techno infused with First Nations sounds. This event will celebrate culture, rhythm and community and provide a new way to experience the exhibition.
Unfolding is on display now in Mornington and will be exhibited until 15 February 2026.
First published in the Frankston Times – 23 December 2025